Afghan commandos advancing in Kunduz as planned

KUDNUZ CITY (Pajhwok): Afghan security forces cleared the Bala Hisar fortress and the National Directorate of Security (NDS) office in Kunduz City of Taliban, officials said on Sunday.

Afghan commandos, who recaptured the two important locations during an operation launched at 2am, were advancing in accordance with their plan, the spokesman for the 1st Brigade of Afghan National Army (ANA) commandos in the northern zone, Javed Salimi, told Pajhwok Afghan News.

He said there was calm in Kudnuz City by the time of Sunday evening. He said the commandos were searching houses for insurgents in the city.

Kunduz police spokesman Syed Sarwar Hussaini said Taliban fighters had been driven from Kunduz City where the Afghan flag had been hoisted at the main square. They have been searching houses to arrest or kill the rebels, he said.

Meanwhile, the Taliban claimed burning four military vehicles in three areas of the city, killing all aboard, a claim Hussaini rejected as baseless.

Nearly 70 percent areas have so far retaken by Afghan security personnel while the rest 30 percent areas were still in Taliban’s hands, deputy head of the provincial council, Amruddin Wali, said.

During the six days of the war, he said, local residents faced severe hardships as they had no access to any assistance, food or healthcare services.

Sher Mohammad, a resident of the city, said the government was promising each day that the city would be cleared of Taliban, but some areas remained under Taliban control.

Provincial police chief Brig. Gen. Mohamamd Qaseem Jangle Bagh said security forces had recaptured the entire city and the bodies of Taliban fighters could be seen lying on the ground after the Bala Hisar was retaken.